Guatapéincl. Rionegro​Travel Guide

Video to Guatapé and​Rionegro

Rionegro is Medellin's little and calmer neighbor. ON the route to Guatapé you will pass Rionegro. So why not stop for a coffee and Churros?On the other hand there's Guatapé, a really touristic little city, who's famous for the colorful houses and the view from the El Peñol.

​Things To Do

Rionegro

Rionegro - San Antonio​A lovely, clean and calm place. Perfect for retirees. In the center of San Antonio they have coffee shops, restaurants and bars. On weekends, they even have a small market in the middle of the center, selling sweets in particular.

Center RionegroA typical Colombian style center. A nice church, coffee shops, restaurants and a lot "tiendas" with clothing and stuff.A really nice place to just enjoy the little park in the center, the coffees and the delicious deserts. Rionegro is higher located than Medellin, that means you need more warm clothes compared to Medellin. Especially during the night it can get pretty fresh with around 12°C/ 53°F.

El RetiroIf you've got enough time in Rionegro, I would recommend you to see ElRetiro. It's about 20min from Rionegro. A little but really traditional Colombian experience, also famous for it's wood work. If you're looking for some new wooden furniture, this is the place to find it.

Guatapé

La Piedra aka EL Peñol aka ElPeñon.The 700 steps will take you to the top of the rock. Even if you do not consider yourself fit, you can manage to walk the 700 steps. Yes you can! Believe me, the view is worth the effort.See the feedback from Tripadvisor.

San RafaelA 45min ride from Guatapé. An other typical Colombian town, where you can enjoy a really cheap Tinto (Colombian coffee) for only 300COP / 0.11USD. I recommend you, to bring your swim suit with you. San Rafael is warmer than Guatapé and got some great spots around, to swim in.​

Escobar TourOf course there's almost no place with no Pablo Escobar stories. Pablo used to have a Finca in Guatapé that's burned down. Even today Pablos family is living in Guatapé. If you're interested in the story behind Pablos Finca, you should consider booking a tour. I recommend to visit his Finca with a guide who can show you around.Find more on Tripadvisor

Guatapé Motos​You could rent a scooter or a motorbike. There are many beautiful places nearby to discover. The owner Darius and his employee Leo, are happy to show you all the possible tours you could do. (San Rafael is one of them)See trip advisor

Restaurants

Rionegro

La Sazon De PerezThis little typical Colombian Restaurant was not only near from our Airbnb where we stayed, but made also the most delicious meat I ever ate. Not to mention the insanely low price for the "menu del dia", means translated "meal of the day" and is always available in almost every restaurant at lunchtime. For about 4 USD, you'll get a soup, the fresh fruit juice of the day and a plate with the meat of your choice, with rice, platano (fried sweet banana), and beans.

Postres San AntonioA literally sweet little store, that only sells deserts. They offer a large variation of deserts, especially creams. For example: Tiramisu, Oreo cream, Coffee cream, Passion fruit cream, Apple and Cheese cream and so much more.

Guatapé

GuatacrêpDelicious crepes freshly made in front of your eyes. The owner and his employee will always make you feel welcome and are open for your opinions. They also offer Sandwiches, they always have a new sauce and will add whatever you like to have on it for a reasonable price. If you think they lack of something, say it! Usually the next day they will offer it, even just for you!

Pizzeria De LuigiBest Pizza in town! Make sure you visit this place for dinner when you're in Guatapé. Luigi makes the Pizza and his lovely wife serves them. They a perfect team, friendly and welcoming. And the Pizzas, they use the freshest ingredients they can find. You can taste the difference. Also, they have delicious fresh fruit juices. For making your Pizza even better they have a variation of fresh oils, from natural olive oil to garlic or spicy oils. I highly recommend to give this restaurant a try, you won't regret it.

Hotel

LA CASITA DE GIO Y ALEXWhere to start with this wonderful couple. We only spend 4 day in Rionegro in a shared apartment, with a really simple but cozy room. Alex and Gio made us feeling like at home from the first moment we arrived. They even showed us around, showed us typical foods and drinks and explained us things about the culture and much more.They even took us to the beautiful little town El Retiro and showed us the whole Rionegro area.I hardly recommend you, to stay with this lovely couple if you're planing to stay in Rionegro for a while.